Time's Toll Paid
by Bebopcowgirl222
Summary: First attempt at Justice League fic. Not really sure about it. Static crossover. Bruce is injured, springboard from Immortal Burden by DCLady. Follows segment of the life of a superhero's doctor and her family.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Never has, Never ever will. Story inspired by DCLady's Immortal Burden. Lovely story, by the by. Crossover between JLU, and Static Shock. Written because you know that there's got to be a superhero hospital somewhere.

An explosion rocked the huge tanker in the middle of the ocean. Water and oil poured in and out of the hull as the compartments were flooded with seawater. Fish mingled with the cargo of gold bars and various vegetable products. The vegetables had the nasty habit of biting, since Poison Ivy was behind the entire issue. Another explosion rocked the vessel, as Batman ducked and swung down to avoid flying debris. Wonder Woman and Superman were desperately trying to keep the vessel afloat, and everyone was starting to worry.

When Poison Ivy was pinned under a metal beam at last, it seemed that the League had won. To an observer, it would have been obvious at once that there was one more block of dynamite, but through the smoke and debris, no one noticed it. When a flaming piece of wood hit it, the inevitable happened…

"Batman!" Diana yelled, grabbing the unconscious bat and pulling into the jet. J'onn and Lantern swung in as well, as the ship gave up and sank, leaving only a gurgling pool of oil and water in it's place.

"He's bleeding pretty badly, Willy commented, solemn for once. A number of people had been dragged into the battle who had no business being there. Static Shock and Gear, as well as too many civilians for comfort.

"I can't do anything for him without facilities, and it's going to take far too long to get to the Watchtower." J'onn murmured. "Not to mention it wouldn't be a could idea to teleport…"

"What do you suggest we do then?" Gear asked.

"I suggest we get to the nearest hospital!" Static responded.

"Too many questions. How do we explain why Bruce Wayne is playing dress-up with the Justice League?" Superman asked.

"So where are we going then?" Static asked.

"Well, it's a hospital at least…" Wonder Woman responded as she headed for the Big Easy.

2 hours later:

"Wonder Woman? Why are we in New Orleans?" Gear asked as they dropped off the last of the civilians.

"You'll see." She sighed. Flying for so long and with so little rest was taking it's toll. She touched the plane down on the top of a sky scraper. The large group made it down easily, and followed Wonder Woman and Superman as they walked purposefully through the French Quarter and towards Bourbon Street.

Static and Gear were looking around in amazement and wonder at the sights, sounds, and smells of the most infamous street in America. They sighed in disappointment when Wonder Woman and Superman turned onto a tiny back alley and into a very old, decrepit neighborhood. Eyes looked at them suspiciously as they crossed to an old storefront with Hospital scrawled across a peeling sign leaning against the front. Superman wrenched open the groaning, old door.

"After you." He motioned, and Green Lantern and Flash went in, holding up the overgrown bat. The huge group huddled in the small entry hall, looking around the decrepit house, that had once been beautiful and elegant during the Victorian days.

"Neka! Thatius! We know you're here!" Wonder Woman yelled.

"Who's she yelling to…?" Gear started to ask.

"How do you know that Diana! We could have died and you'd never know! You never come to see us anymore!" A woman's voice yelled back, but it was impossible to pinpoint from where. It did, however, have a southern twang. "Who on earth do you have with you? Fresh meat? Oh I love fresh meat! Give me a minute to get down there! Thatius is out of town right now. He's getting us a new x-ray machine."

Gear and Static looked at each other, puzzled. They heard a creaking sound as a woman in her late 40's, early 50's hurried down the stairs. In the dim light from the glowing world one alley over, it was hard to tell what she looked like. She twisted a knob on the banister and the floor began to shudder and quake.

"Hold on now Y'all! The floor's not real steady for the first few seconds its movin'" The woman disappeared again, as the floor started to slowly, gently slide down through a large hatch, along with everyone on it. Static and Gear couldn't even move. They watched as the floor slid back over to cover the hole, and a bright, clean, hospital light flashed into being.

The floor finally stopped moving, and they found themselves in a large reception room like in any other hospital. The woman reappeared.

She was in her late 40's, with stern grey hair tied at the back of her head in a bun. She wore a crisp black skirt and peasant top. The remarkable thing about her, however, was that she had no human ears but a pair of black cat ears peeking through her hair, and she had a tail.

"Oh lord Diana! Why didn't you say you had Bru… Bats with you?" she asked, her green eyes widening with shock at all the blood. "Lantern! Get that boy into sealed ward 305 right away. I'll call Thatius home…" she went over to the empty desk and grabbed the phone, hitting several buttons in quick succession. "Titus! Sweet, it's Neka. We've got a code 546. Yes code 546. Get back here please, I can't handle this myself. You might want to tell Thebe and Venus to come home too. Bye love." She hung up and ran into a prep room, her vague mannerisms and airy feeling gone. She was business like and seemed almost snappish as she rustled into the hallway.

"You two stay here. Don't touch ANYTHING, either of you." Superman followed the others through the hall.

"Well. This is dull." Static observed as he looked around the room. "You'd think a hidden hospital would be a little more exciting than this."

Gear shrugged. "Hospitals are all the same I suppose." He looked over at the elevator. "Someone else is coming."

Two women burst through the sliding doors, followed by three men and a puma. One of the two women looked to be about 18, the other in her 30's. Two of the men were in their late 20's or early 30's, and the other man must by Thatius, to gauge by his age. The humans ran past, pulling on medical coats as they went. The puma paused, sniffed both boys, and walked off towards a low cut door in the wall.

"That was odd. Do you think they noticed us?" Gear asked.

"Of course they noticed you. It isn't often we have new clients." Neka had indeed returned. She was cleaning off the blood from her hands, and she looked tired already, for all she'd been working a half an hour. "I can only hold back blood for so long. Vomit's easy, it's damn near solid." She was muttering to herself.

"Uh, we're not clients. We just got taken along for the ride." Static remarked.

Neka looked up mildly. "Oh? And that gash on your arm is going to heal itself? Or perhaps your friend's bump on his head will magically produce its own disinfectants?"

"Uh… no."

"Exactly. Follow me, if you'd like to get those taken care of and some food into you."

They just shrugged and did as they were told. Down another corridor, passing several nurses and doctors. To their surprise, it seemed that the hospital was indeed occupied by many patients. Most of the patients looked to be super heroes and heroines.

"Don't look so startled. We keep a booming business up, since we're one of 14 exclusively superhero hospitals. We're discreet about who we treat, we have closed records, and identities are never revealed. Its taken years to figure out some how to handle some cases. For years our largest fear was that we'd get a phantom injury and wouldn't be able to treat it."

"Phantom injury?"

"Like if J'onn was injured, we had a hell of a time operating, because he'll routinely disappear and reappear. It makes life complicated."

"You nearly lost me once." J'onn floated through the floor. Static and Gear jumped, but Neka simply walked on.

"How've you been, J'onn?"

"As well as can be expected, under the circumstances. We're not sure he'll pull through."

Neka looked pained. "I've fought battles for lives since we opened this hospital, and it still hurts to know I might loose him. I can't even imagine what poor Diana's going through."

"She's beside herself. I'm exhausted, and I don't think Clark feels much better."

Neka smiled kindly at him. "You'll have your usual rooms tonight. You should get some sleep."

"Thank you, Neka." He disappeared again.

"Mrs. Neka?"

"Yes, Gear?", they'd come to a large treatment room that was decorated with scarlet and gold paint and drapery. This seemed to be for minor injuries, since there were only minor tools, and nothing like scalpels. Neka motioned for the two to sit down and she came back with a needle and thread for stitches. "Hold still a moment, Static. I'll numb this real quick so I can patch up your arm. And it's not Mrs. Neka. Its just Neka. And it stands for Veronica if you must know. Veronica Adelaide Phoebes."

"How did you come to get…?"

"My ears and tail?" she smiled wryly as she finished off the stitches and started wrapping bandages around the arm. "You and Mr. Static are what are referred to as 'Bang Babies' correct? The kind from Dakota."

"Yeah, we're meta-humans." Static replied.

"Well, I was a nurse, back when what you might call the 'original' big bang happened. The one on Three Mile Island. I got enough of the after gas to give me ears and a tail, and a natural liking for cats. The puma's name is Adele, by the by. After the Three Mile incident, I ended up working in hospitals all around the world, treating super heroes. I'd run off and do the super hero thing once in a great while. When the Big Bang happened in Dakota, I was one of the first on the scene for…several reasons. I lost my first husband and found my second because of the Bang Baby Gas." She murmured contemplatively. "Thatius is Venus' father only. Thena, Darius, and Arvin are by my husband, William. I like the ancient Greek names more than I think my children would like. Venus is the youngest. She's only 18. Elena Thena is 33, Darius is 29, and Arvin is 25." Neka smiled as she rubbed antiseptic on Gear's head and gave it a poke with something to make the swelling go down.

"So you're how old?"

"54, and Thatius is 57. He's the one for emergency surgery. I'm research and neurosurgery mostly."

"Wow. I didn't realize that the doctors and nurses might be affected by the gas." Gear muttered, wincing.

"Not as bad as some were. But bad enough." She stood back "There. Y'all should live. The kitchen is down the hall to your left, and there's a phone in there if you want to call your folks and let them know you're all right."

"Thank you, Mrs. … Neka."

"You're welcome Gear, Static." She smiled tiredly and walked down the hall towards the other ward. No sooner had she left than a tall robot came out.

"I have been instructed to assist you in anyway possible by Mrs. Phoebes. I am robot number 34, version 9. I am called by Kirby."

"Wait… she didn't mention robots!" Gear's eyes tripled as he examined Kirby.

"I am built for the comfort of my makers only. The medically trained robots are not to be examined. I am, however, at your disposal."

"This is amazing! This place has everything!" Static muttered.

"This is hospital 72 B. Exclusive membership is given to super beings only."

"Beings?"

"Well, a few aren't exactly human are they? Super Beings is more inclusive. We're taxpayer funded, so discrimination is against our policies." Neka called down the hall.

"Ah." Gear muttered and picked up the phone on the wall, dialing his home phone number. "Mom? Yeah, It's… No I'm fine mom. I'm with Virgil. We're in New Orleans. It's a long story, but we're safe, we just got into a… No mom. I just got a bump on the head, but the doctor saw to it. I don't know when I'll be home. Virgil hasn't called his dad. You really don't have to fly over—But…Yes… Ok mom. I'll have the doctor call you when she gets out of surgery. Virgil's fine… It's another… friend of ours. Ok mom. Bye. I love you too." Gear hung up the phone. "She wants to fly over here to get me!"

"Well, that's not a good idea I don't think. My Pop will want the same thing, I bet."

"Yeah, well your dad has known about you being a meta-human for a while. My parents have no clue, and finding themselves in a super hero hospital would be a sure sign."

"What if my dad came to get us? That way your mom won't worry?"

"That might work…"

"Has anything changed, Tat?" Neka headed into the emergency wing, her hair pinned stiffly up, all remnants of make-up removed.

"No… Nothing's changed I'm afraid. He's still in a coma. We stopped the bleeding, though." Thatius Phoebes was a towering 7' 2" in height with crisp, steel grey hair. His neatly trimmed mustache and beard surrounded a mouth that smiled just as easily as it frowned, and a strong chin. Honey brown eyes and a larger than normal nose completed the image of a gentlemanly surgeon.

"It worries me that I can get into his mind," J'onn muttered. "Even when he's sleeping the man has the will of a rock. Never have I been able to get past more than his conscious thought."

"He's that vulnerable?" Diana looked close to tears. "My god, three weeks from our wedding and he's in a coma…" Elena took her out into the hallway to calm Diana down.

Thatius pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Neka? Did you call the restaurant to cancel our reservations?"

"Yes, two hours ago."

"Just wanted to make sure. I think we got all of the injuries taken care of. As well as we could, anyway."

"Mom?"

"Yes Arvin?"

"Do Darius and I need to stay? I don't like leaving my wife and the kids home after dark alone."

"That's fine. You don't need my approval."

"Alright mum. We'll see you in the morning then." Arvin, Darius, and Elena kissed their mother good bye, while Venus walked outside to her apartment.

"Mrs. Neka?"

"Yes? Gear, Static, what is it?"

"We were wondering… would it be alright if my dad came to pick us up?" Virgil asked carefully.

"I don't see why not… He knows about you being a meta-human?" Thatius asked, looking the boys over.

"Yeah, but my mom doesn't so if Static's dad came to pick us up we wouldn't have to worry about it." Gear replied, something unidentifiable flashing through his face momentarily.

"Hmm. Your mom's over protective huh?" Neka smiled thinly.

"Yeah, a little." He said in an almost-truthful voice.

"That's fine. Do you need me to talk to your parents boys?"

"If you don't mind, I think they'd like the word of a doctor that we're fine."

"Not an issue at all." Neka walked over and Gear gave her the number. "Hello, is this… Yes, Are you Ritchie's mother? I'm Doctor Veronica Phoebes at… Yes, your son is right here next to me and I give you my word as a doctor he's in perfect health other than a small bump on his left temple. I've been informed that Virgil's dad is going to come and get the boys… No there's no cost to you at all. We're a rather exclusive unit, paid mostly by private benefactors so that the patients need not worry about the cost. The friend they're here with? Well ma'am I can assure you he's respectable. I don't have the authority to release patient information over the phone, Ma'am. Yes, I'll watch your son. Of course. Of course, good night."

"Whew. Static, you next." Neka dialed the number as it was given. "Hello? Is this Virgil Hawkins's father? Yes, Virgil is fine. I'm Doctor Veronica Phoebes from St. Mary's Louisiana Private Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. No sir, your son isn't in trouble of any kind. He and Richard are here on behalf of a…friend's. Yes. Mrs. Foley has requested to fly out to get her son, but Virgil thought it would be easier for you. Your airfare and theirs will be paid in full, naturally, by a private benefactor of this hospital. Mr. Hawkins I am more than aware of your son's abilities. Yes. This hospital caters to Super beings, meta-humans, etc. I assure you, Virgil and Richard are in fine. Virgil has a scratch on his arm and Richard got a bump on the head. Both are in no medical danger. Yes. Here's Virgil, Mr. Hawkins." Neka handed Static the handset.

"Well, he seemed rather calm about the fact his son is in New Orleans." Thatius raised an eyebrow as Virgil talked to his father.

"Mr. Hawkins has gotten used to this sort of thing by now, I think." Gear remarked.

"If you boys want to get some more comfortable clothes on, there should be something your size in one of the closets. Or if you'd prefer I'm sure I can arrange to have Venus take you out to get some clothes."

"If she wouldn't mind…"

"She'll take you in the morning, not to worry. Now, you might want to get some sleep. It's about 9 at night and I imagine you're tired from all the chaos today." Neka shooed the two boys into the non-patient wing and pointed out two rooms for them. When both were taken care of, J'onn came up through the floor.

"Did something seem…strange to you?" Neka turned to the Martian.

"About what?"

"Gear, Ritchie?"

"He seemed tired and stressed, but then that could be the stress of the events of today as a whole. But there was something hesitant, as well."

"Something like regret? Or perhaps sorrow? I don't know which really. He didn't seem right to me. Static seemed fine. Tired, stressed, and a little twitchy yes. But so is everyone else right now. Gear seems almost… Oh I don't know. Sore?"

"Physically or emotionally?"

"Emotionally, I think."

"Hmm. How is Bruce?"

"Nothing's changed. A collapsed lung, several cracked ribs, internal bleeding, head trauma, nothing that's going to heal right away."

"You worry about us a lot," J'onn smiled down at the feisty little woman who'd saved him and many of the league members more than anyone could remember. "We do appreciate it. I speak for all of us."

"Yeah, well. It's not like I'm not paid well enough to worry about you. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the league."

"And most of us would be gone as well. Don't ever forget your worth, Veronica."

"Did you just call me Veronica? Since when does anyone call me Veronica?"

"Since it is your name and you aren't twenty years old anymore."

"I'm still Neka. What name would Thatius use if he didn't have Baka Neko, the stupid cat?" her tail was swishing back and forth in an agitated manner.

"The others will call you what they will. Your name is Veronica, despite the fact you dislike it."

"It's like arguing with a brick wall, talking to you. You're telepathic yet you don't care to listen to people's preferences." The two had wandered back to Bruce's wing. Diana was standing watch. Or she was supposed to be, anyway. She had curled up on a couch and fallen asleep, her civilian clothes looking out of place among the colored spandex of her colleagues. Neka spread a blanket over her, sighing a little.

"This is going to be more traumatic for her than Bruce, I'm afraid." Shayera sighed. "I don't understand anymore. She spent years convincing him to give her a chance. To let her in and he did, to everyone's surprise. Now this. You don't realize how much has happened since you settled down here."

"No, I imagine I don't. It's not like I could, or that it's any of my business at all, really." Neka sighed, changing the IV drip.

"It is, and it isn't. It concerns everyone on the planet, in an obscure way." J'onn remarked. "Think about it. Super heroes settling down, having families, slipping into obscurity. It takes away from the time they usually would spend helping people, so it seems bad to almost everyone down here."

"Even when Bruce and Diana marry, they'll still be Mr. and Mrs. Batman. That won't change much. He's still got his vendetta against the forces of evil." Shayera added.

"But what if they have children? He'll spend more an more time being a father and husband, and less and less time saving the world. Look at Lois and Clark. You and Green Lantern. Don't give me that look, I'm not completely oblivious down here."

"Humph."

"What about you, J'onn? Is there another person out there for you?" The three had wandered into a connecting lounge, and Neka put on a kettle.

"I don't know. Perhaps there is, perhaps not. It's hard to tell what the future will hold."

"You like giving vague, maybe answers, don't you? It's irritating, you know."

"Humans don't need to know everything. Definitive answers are too easy."

Neka huffed and rolled her eyes, handing the bird-woman and green alien two steaming mugs of tea. "Thatius spent years in the sort of life you all live, and it always seems like he wants to go back." Her ears drooped a little, "I don't want to hold him back, but he says he's happy cleaning up afterwards. I don't think he is, really."

"He worries about you. You haven't put on your outfit and gone vigilante for ages." Shayera replied, sipping lightly.

"I'm a grandmother now. My children have all grown up. They work for me, but someday they'll take over and I'll have to step back and disappear into the woodwork again."

"You don't want to live a quiet life? You want to come back to being Neko of the Night? The Feline Vigilante? Catwoman's Rival?" Shayera asked.

"Sometimes, when it gets slow down here. I dream of running around, jumping off buildings, being a super hero again, instead of the one who saves the superheroes. It wasn't always safe, but at least I could count on a little excitement now and then."

"This isn't enough excitement for you?" J'onn asked.

"It's an adrenaline rush, that's for sure. But it's nothing like dodging gunfire on top of a speeding truck."

"You have a strange sense of nostalgia. Most people would be content with a normal, quiet life. But no, not our Neko."

"I'm curious. Where did the names 'Neko' and 'Neka' come from? It was never explained."

"Neko is the Japanese word for cat. Neka came from a combination of Veronica and Neko."

"Ah. Of course."

Neka sipped her tea, before adding some more hot water. "If Mr. Hawkins comes to get the boys, I think I'll go with them. I could use to get out of this city for a while. It's not clean, really."

"What about the hospital?" J'onn asked. "We still need you here, until Bruce is better."

"Arvin and Darius can handle the hospital," Neka waved her hand vaguely. "And Mr. Hawkins will probably stay for a few days to sight see. Hopefully Bruce will wake up by then. If he doesn't then I'll stay, I suppose."

"We can only hope." Shayera replied, "Do you think Thatius will go with you?"

"I hope so. He needs to get out of here as much as I do," Neka replied.

"Do you want to leave for good?" J'onn asked.

"If I could, I would. Open up a new hospital in Dakota, serve the rest of the country for a while…"

"See what's wrong with Gear…" J'onn muttered.

Neka gave him a sharp look. "What would make you say that?"

"You're as worried about him as Static." Shayera replied.

"Oh you're a mind reader too now, are you?" Neka asked briskly.

"No, but you've known the boy for all of a few hours and you're already looking after him like a hen."

"Those boys are far too young to be super heroes, you know that."

"Dakota needs protection, and who better to fight bang babies than other bang babies?"

"I still don't like the idea. My children…"

"Your children may not have been saving the world at 16, but they were helping out in the hospital since they could walk," Shayera stated.

"Your children saw worse before they were ten then Static or Gear will ever see."

"Yes, but my Arvin was the one who figured out how to treat you J'onn, so I wouldn't point fingers." Neka pointed out shrewishly.

"I'll grant you that, and I owe your family for it."

"Oh nonsense. It's my job, not a hobby," Neka finished off her tea just as Thatius came in. Neka stood up to kiss her husband and steer the exhausted man into a chair.

"This is going to be a long wait, I'm afraid," He muttered as tea was shoved into his hands and a scone into his mouth.

"It's that bad?"

Thatius nodded solemly, picking up a spoon to stir his tea. "We've called Alfred, and he's headed over to help out, mostly with Dianna. She's a nervous wreck. We actually had to drug her to get her to calm down."

"Hmm," Neka nodded. "How are YOU feeling Tat?"

"Tired, worried, same as everyone else."

Shayera looked up, "What are his chances of survival?" She asked quietly.

"Less than 50:50. Probably 30:70. If that, I'm afraid."

"No wonder Dianna's frantic… I better go look after her," Shayera stood up and left.

J'onn, too, looked about to collapse.

"J'onn?"

"Yes Neka?"

"Didn't I say it was alright to go to sleep? You look like a good gust of wind would blow you away right about now… and I don't wanna go chasin' your phantasmal ass all over this god-forsaken city in the middle of the night!" Neka glared at the Martian, daring him to contest her. For once, J'onn only looked meek and did as he was instructed, albeit fearfully.

Neka settled down to stand watch until Alfred arrived. It was going to be a very long night indeed.


	2. What becomes of those we love

A/N: Usual disclaimer applies. Not mine.

And thanks to the hit counter I know how many people are reading BUT NOT REVIEWING! glares Sorry it's not as long as the first chapter, but the first chapter was kind going on for ever. Be patient w/ me!

Neka woke to a hand shaking her shoulder lightly, then more forcefully. She blinked and looked up into the face of Alfred, the gentlemanly butler and father figure to Bruce Wayne.

"Alfred… It's good to see you again. I just wish it wasn't under such dire circumstances…" Neka remarked and stretched hugely.

"You as well, Mrs. Phoebes," the elderly man said gravely. He looked at Bruce on the bed, and his expression softened pitifully. "How is he?"

"I won't lie to you and say he's peachy. We're not sure he'll live out the week, honestly."

Alfred pursed his lips, and Neka could tell he was trying very hard not to cry. "Thank you, Mrs. Phoebes."

"Come now, Alfred," Neka said gently, steering the butler into another chair. She took his suitcase from his hand, handing it off to a small server robot. "It'll be alright… He's young and in his prime… he'll pull through…" Neka wished she could take back her words to the elderly butler. She should have known better than to say it so bluntly. She swore silently to herself, hugging the butler to try and make him feel better. "God I'm so stupid… I'm sorry Alfred. I really am."

"I know… Mrs. Phoebes. You're doing all we could possibly ask for."

"I wish it was more." Neka plopped onto the floor. She rubbed her temples for a few moments, trying to sort out her thoughts, then she looked back up at Alfred. "Did you see Dianna when you came in?"

"No, I didn't, I'm afraid."

"Hmm. Why don't you get some sleep, huh? Ya'll look too tired to do much of anything," Neka asked gently.

"Thank you, Mrs. Phoebes. I think I will."

"There's some rooms made up down the hall that should suit your needs fine. Let me know if you need anything. I need to go find Dianna. She's going to be in a right state after this…" Neka stood and hurried out, leaving Alfred with his adopted son. She ran down the hallways, needing to stretch her long legs after such a long time in a chair. She skidded to a halt in front of J'onn's room: the Martian was fast asleep. The same was true for most everyone else. Dianna's room was the only empty one.

Neka peered into every conceivable nook and cranny that Wonder Woman could have crawled into to nurse her sorrow, but to no avail.

"Hmm. If I were Dianna and severely depressed… where would I go?" Then a thought came to her. "The roof! Naturally…" Neka hurried up a spiral staircase towards the old part of the house where she and Thatius lived. Once past the sinister looking entry room, the house turned out to be immaculately restored to it's original, turn of the century glory. Another staircase led to the roof of the house where a balcony had a view of the entire French Quarter. And there ,under the screened awning, was Dianna.

She was sitting on the Cyprus floors, curled into a ball. Gone was her Wonder Woman garb, in favor of a pair of baggy, black Pajama pants and a blue tank top. She looked… vulnerable and normal and nothing like a super hero.

"Dianna?"

Dianna barely nodded her head to acknowledge Neka's presence. Tears continued to leak down her face.

Neka sat down on the floor as well, but a reasonable distance from Dianna. "I know you don't really like me all that much Dianna, but I wish you wouldn't do this to yourself. It hurts everyone to see you like this."

"I want Bruce to be alright… I always knew this day would come. I just wish it would have been later in life." Dianna looked over at the older-appearing woman. "I need him. I depend on him… I don't think I can loose him and still go on."

Neka sighed and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "That's what I thought when William died. I thought I'd never be able to smile again, and that I couldn't keep running the hospital we'd built together at the time. I thought 'God, why'd you leave me alive? I have nothing to live for. My children are grown or close to it and now you've taken my husband. Why am I still here?' But then I saw all those other poor souls lying on the ground and realized that I was still needed. No matter how much I was hurting, these people had to be in much more pain. I picked myself up and got to work. It wasn't until later I realized that William was cheating on me and planning divorce anyway." Neka looked over at Dianna and gave her a sad smile. "Sometimes the events that seem to be horrible and painful are really the ones you need most to keep you going. Bruce will pull through. Don't you worry. And when he does you'll both be stronger for it."

"How do you do it Neka? Work around the sick and dying every waking day; it would drive me insane." Dianna looked up at the stars.

"I do it because no one else will or can. If I can save just one life a day then my entire existence gains meaning. It means that I've given someone else a chance to do things right. Someone else gets a chance to raise a family, find happiness, do good in the world."

Dianna looked over at Neka for the first time and gave the other woman a watery smile. "I hope I'm as happy as you. I hope we can have children someday, too."

"You will Dianna. And when you do I'll be right there with the baby blankets and parenting tips." Neka patted Dianna's shoulder and stood up, groaning. "Come on now. It's time for bed and I'm sure that you're tired after all that mess today."

Dianna nodded and stood, following Neka downstairs and into the hospital. Neka made sure the heroine was safely asleep before she hurried upstairs and into her own room and her own bed. She snuggled up against Thatius, who grunted.

"What took ya so long?" he murmured.

"Reassuring the restless."

"Oh. Good night then."

"Night Tat."

J'onn sat up abruptly, shaking slightly from fright. He kept hearing screams in his head. They were coming from someone far off, but somehow, despite their distance, they rang crystal clear.

To his surprise, the woman's scream continued in his head even after he'd shaken the sleep from his stress-addled brain. "What on Earth--?" he muttered. "Where are you coming from?"

The screams were becoming faint at last, but it sounded that, rather than getting farther away, the woman was simply loosing her will. J'onn stood up and pulled on his cape and boots. He hurried out into the hallway, trying to figure out which direction the screams were coming from. He ran quickly into the old house and then to the street beyond, still looking around almost frantically. To his surprise, the screams seemed to be coming from the town homes across the street from the hospital. If he recalled correctly, they were the same ones that Neka's youngest daughter, Venus, lived in.

J'onn carefully climbed the stairs to the front porch where the screams were coming from. He knocked softly, then louder, until he was pounding on the door as hard as he could.

Finally he gave up on courtesy and slammed through the door. There was blood everywhere around the pleasant sitting room. At first he thought there was no one in the room, but as he came farther in, he found a small figure huddled in the corner, blood dripping and pooling around it. It was most deffinently female.

"Excuse me? Madame?" J'onn approached cautiously.

The figure just shuddered and curled, if possible, into a smaller ball.

"Madame I really must insist you come with me to stop the bleeding…"

"No…" it whispered angrily.

"Madame, you're hurt… be reasonable…"

"I don't want help J'onn…" It looked up. And it was Venus. "I WANT TO DIE!" She screamed at him, her mother's ferocity pouring from her with her blood.

"Venus… Why?" J'onn knelt by the distraught young woman.

"Too many expectations… Don't want it anymore… No more pressure…" She was muttering so quietly J'onn almost didn't pick it up. She began to sway back and forth and finally fell over in a dead faint.

He pulled the shaking, bleeding, young woman to him and picked her up. He ran outside, across the street, and back into the hospital. He looked up the stairs. "NEKA! THATIUS!" His voice resonated through the house.

The sound of pounding feet coming down creaking stairs echoed through the house as the two doctors in question appeared. Neka had managed to pull on a thin robe, and Thatius was in just a pair of baggy black PJ pants.

"What is it J'onn?" Neka asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

J'onn only motioned to the figure he had cradled to his chest. Neka looked down curiously and cried out "OH LORD NO! VENUS!"

Thatius went sheet white as he took his only daughter from J'onn's arms. "Venus… Darling what have you done?" He sprinted into the elevator, followed closely by Neka and J'onn.

Those League members who'd come in with Batman and Wonder Woman came out of their rooms, wondering at the disturbance. J'onn took Venus into the operation room and called for assistance. Neka stayed outside, unable to look at her precious younger daughter.

Wonder Woman came up cautiously, worried to see the strong young woman so frantic. "Neka? What happened?"

Neka couldn't control the tears leaking down her face. "My baby… my darling Venus… Tried to commit suicide!" she collapsed against the wall, curling up into a ball and crying. "Why! Why not take me! Leave my babies out of this…"

"Oh Neka…" Dianna knelt down next to the older woman, their roles of earlier that night reversed.

Virgil and Richie came out of their rooms, looking confused at the crying and screaming.

The sound of Venus crying out for death would haunt him for the rest of his life, he had no doubt.

Arvin and Darius arrived to help their step-father, while Elena took her mother away to comfort her. Neka was frantic and close to hyperventilating, all of her careful self-control gone in an instant.

Dianna slipped away from the group, going back to sit next to Bruce. She grasped his hands in her own. "Bruce… What am I supposed to do now? Poor Neka…. I'll admit I really don't like her much. She's too bossy… but she doesn't deserve this. No one does, really." Tears began to well up in Dianna's eyes again when she got no response. "I'm so lost right now…." She whispered, closing her own eyes and laying her head on the bed across her arms.

A/N: Many thanks to Gotham's Princess and Tracebo for their kind words.


End file.
